By the time you’re ready to sell your first house, you’ll no longer be that starry-eyed buyer who imagines roses and rainbows behind every home with great curb appeal. Every month of housing payments, every surprise plumbing leak, every hour spent tending to the yard...

When it comes to buying a home, what you see isn’t exactly what you get. You’ll see colorful flowers, freshly painted walls, granite countertops, gleaming hardwood floors and other superficial touches. What you can’t see is the foundation cracks, ancient plumbing,...